Opportunities and resources are abundant. We only need to learn to recognize and access them.

The Key is Recognizing and Accessing Opportunities.

Recognize Opportunity

I learned to tap trees this spring. A friend described how he was doing this with his kids. Tree tapping always seemed magical to me. Syrup from a tree. How does that work? It was something other people did. I never associated it with myself.

My friend described the process and how simple it was. So, I bought a $10 tapping kit online and a couple of buckets at Lowes. Got my drill, drilled and tapped two birch trees in my front yard.

Soon, I was collecting between four and five gallons a day in birch sap. I had been expecting slow drips and much lower volume. While I had the equipment to tap two more trees – I wasn’t prepared to keep up with that volume.

I discovered that the sap is drinkable. Essentially, it’s filtered, slightly sweet water. But if you heat it for a time, the water evaporates. What’s left is syrup. As simple as that. I caught the end of the season as sap runs during the spring.  But still ended up with a pint or so of – very delicious – birch syrup.

I think it is miraculous. I can’t get over it. A tree sucks up water from the dirt. Nothing else is added. And it transforms that water into something sweet that I can use on pancakes. And it produces so much that it has sap to spare.

Here’s my point: Nature is full of abundance. Loaded with it. And so are our lives.

 But…you have to see it and know how to access it.

Just like I needed someone who recognized the resources within birch trees and was willing to teach me.

But I Can’t See It! 

Most often people don’t see abundance. Most of us are raised to see scarcity. We’re taught to believe there is only so much…and probably not enough.

Many people believe this about resources – usually money. Others believe this about relationships – finding that perfect someone, a family, or a close circle of friends. For others it’s opportunities and experiences in life. There’s only so much…and probably not enough.

I understand that. I was raised blue-collar poor. My parents worked hard and spent carefully. But things were always tight. We didn’t reach the recognizable middle class until I was in high school. I learned that material resources were hard to earn and easy to lose. But work hard either way.

As an adult, money didn’t appeal to me. But some of that was like birch syrup. I just didn’t associate it with me.

However, opportunities did appeal. Growing up, I discovered that I had ideas that other people didn’t and was willing to put in work around them. Combine that with not caring if I got paid – I was able to pack in a couple of lifetimes of experiences all over the world by the time I was in my 30’s. It turns out opportunities are abundant if you work for free – or close to it.

But, as far as I knew, financial success was out of my control. Some people got it. Others didn’t. Luck. Destiny. Act of God. I didn’t know.

I was frustrated by that. When my wife became pregnant with my first child, I knew I needed to figure this out. So, I found the most successful person I knew who did what I wanted to do and asked them how. I kept asking until I figured it out.

How to See and Access Abundance

The best way to learn to see abundance is to spend time around people who see it. I didn’t know I could make my own birch syrup until I met someone who did it.

If you don’t see opportunities now, you probably aren’t spending enough time with people who do.

Actual people are best. But podcasts, books, articles will all also help. Marinate yourself in how these people see life and opportunities. Open yourself up to how they see.

FOUR Key Tips that Helped Me Recognize Abundance

Abundance thinking feels weird if you aren’t used to it. For many people, it’s because they developed a moral explanation for why it was superior to be without as opposed to being with. But this is misleading.

The best examples of abundance thinking are also very ethically and altruistically minded people. So, look for that. Here’s what helped me:

Tip 1: FACE FEAR

Fear holds most people back. Fear of doing the wrong thing. Fear of doing the thing wrong. Fear of missing out. Fear of getting overwhelmed.

To make up a percentage: 97% of all fear is based on scaring ourselves with “what ifs?” It’s made up.

Learn to hunt your fears. Pick one. Face it. Confront how misleading it is. You’ll start to see just how much you are holding yourself back.

Tip 2: RELENTLESS EXECUTION

Action beats inaction. Successful leaders are all people who take action. It’s a defining characteristic. They make mistakes, some things don’t work out. But in the aggregate, they come out ahead.

Tip 3: SHUT UP and LISTEN

When you spend time around people who see, think and act differently than you, you’ll disagree with them. Or you might feel uncomfortable with their advice. The logic may go like this, “I know that what you are doing works for you but….”

Notice when you do this. Then stop arguing (with them or in your head). Start asking questions about it, “How did you…?” “What do you recommend….?” “Here’s how I was thinking of handling X how would you do it?”

Tip 4: ACT ABUNDANTLY

Do the things that people whose “cups runneth over” do: Be grateful. Be generous. Learn how to invest and grow what you have.

Don’t Wait

The sap stopped running. The window for that opportunity is short. I had to act while it was open. But there are other opportunities waiting.

Gardening for example. My parents are master gardeners. I grew up never doubting the potential for gardening in Alaska. But I only tried myself recently. Since I can see it, they can teach me.

Who do you need to spend more time with?

What do you need to ask them?

Take good care,

Christian

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